Conventional underwater breathing apparatuses typically include a dive tank filled with compressed air or other appropriate gases. Many conventional dive tanks are large, heavy and greatly restrict a diver's mobility when not in the water. For instance, some conventional dive tanks are cylindrical with a diameter of about one foot and a height of about two and a half feet. Many conventional dive tanks are formed from steel or aluminum; which results in a tank that weighs between about thirty pounds and forty pounds.
Most conventional underwater diving systems include a system for mounting a dive tank to a diver so that the dive tank rests on the back of the diver. The dive tank is usually mounted so that the control valve is positioned in close proximity to the diver's head and centered between the diver's shoulders. The dive tank is typically held in place with a vest that fits around the chest of the diver. The vest often includes bladders and is used as a buoyancy control device (BCD) when the diver is underwater. Because of the position of the control valve on the tank, the tank is not positioned high on the diver's back. Rather, the dive tank is positioned low on the diver's back. This position often makes it difficult for a diver to move around a vessel.
Immediately before a dive, a diver suits up with all of the necessary equipment, including a mask, snorkel, fins, BCD, tank, gauges, and wetsuit, if necessary. While all of these items assist a diver when the diver is underwater, these items are very cumbersome when the diver is not in the water. Most cumbersome is often the combination of the heavy tank on the diver's back and the fins. Successfully attaching a dive tank to a diver is best accomplished with the assistance of another person. The other person stabilizes the tank while the diver inserts the diver's arms through the arm holes in the BCD.
While assistance is easy to find on commercial dive boats and on boats with a large crew, such assistance is not available when diving alone or when diving from a boat with fewer occupants. In such situations, a diver is often faced with the task of attaching a dive tank to the diver with little or inadequate assistance. Such a procedure often includes positioning the tank on the deck or on another stable surface. However, a vessel is often being tossed about by the seas and keeping a tank with a BCD attached in an upright position can be difficult. Without assistance, attaching a dive tank to a diver is a difficult procedure. Thus, a need exists for a device that supports a dive tank while a diver attaches the tank to the diver.